How To Train For Long Climbs

[@adrian_veidt]

I love watching older GCN videos. There's a lovely charm on it. I miss matt.

[@BombedNevada]

I have found that sobbing uncontrollably helps with climbing.

[@jamstev0]

hahahaha!!

[@hinni1997]

Also helps with hydration and sodium intake when drinking those salty tears of pain

[@gerardvanommenkloeke9464]

I think you guys have probably the best job in the world. Hard work but what a way to earn!!

[@ItsNotJustinMarcelo]

I always ride with the sweetspot on climbs and put on heaviest gear when im on flats. This may hurt my knees or muscles but this is the fastest way to improve my leg capacity IMO. Also try to put additional 2 heavy gears on your sweetspot while climbing and get out of the saddle. Climbing out of the saddle also helps

[@ligeiro6620]

Loving the soundtrack!

[@ThomasNordic]

Really enjoy this channel. Looks like these guys have fun doing these vids as well.

[@jamesferrentino9824]

I have my first race this Sunday! Wish me luck, I'm nervous!

[@Quepedal]

James Ferrentino Best of luck! Venga, venga!

[@gcn]

James Ferrentino Good luck!

[@simchabruk6078]

Good luck

[@nijerk13]

James Ferrentino Good luck! Tip, Finish someone else's plate first;)

[@johnparr5772]

Good luck

[@Alex.McCormack]

I like the new bikes you've Scott

[@AB-qm8wq]

Scotty - beam them up!

[@mfiola13]

Another of your best videos. Thanks.

[@WhyKnot]

I like to hill repeat the steepest hill I can find.

[@XtrAMassivE]

I first do rides on mostly flat roads and then I progress to higher climbs. I have a luxury of plenty of short and long climbs so it's nice for training.

[@richardm9688]

South of France has it all for training! Great part of the world!

[@dee-jay-gee-bee7659]

Nice cuts to the kickdrum. Nice to see you passed on the editing knowledge to the Global Mountain Bike Network boys too, with them making full use of the slow-mo ghost biker creeping past the real-time guy talking you through the technique being displayed.

[@waynemaman7418]

Petty Mat Stevens left, was a fun guy! Good job GCN guys!

[@sharkdom]

Where I grew up, FTP meant something completely different!!

[@dankono8083]

sharkdom f**k the police? hahhahaha

[@richardm9688]

+Danila Konoplev You're under arrest!

[@chickeyy1792]

file transfer protocol?

[@chawanatn]

File Transfer Protocol? Do you grow up in a server room or something? (Yes, I did. Basically.)

[@sliever4]

Well if you grew up in N. Ireland the P would have stood for Pope and unfortunately the same sectarian bigotry still exists..🤨

[@wytwolfen]

Has anyone made a ringtone out of Matt's laugh and if so, where can I get it? Thank you, Robert

[@Schwingi]

Love your channel, keep up the good works! Thanks for the outtakes as well. 😀

[@dickvisser6943]

This footage was shot in the hills of the Côte d'Azur. The part that starts at 2:38 is the M2564 between Nice and Éze. You can see St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat sticking out in the Mediterranean: www.google.nl/maps/@43.719958,7.331633,3a,75y,187.33h,73.83t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1stoJPhkDsNkEoOaYvxDdeHA!2e0

[@MrBernt1968]

I miss Matt at gcn

[@tomparsons1413]

Hey guys. Great video as usual. I'd love to see a some stuff on time trialling...how to train for them and things like that.

[@rhyswilliams695]

Love the new music guys.

[@wanmaker]

Plz can you do a how to taper off befor an event.

[@omardin4160]

Shiny New Scotts all round!!

[@mitchellsteindler]

Beautiful bikes

[@R8HG]

Great video guys!!!

[@glyrin.e]

It’s amazing the amount of helpful videos you have on the channel, really appreciated for that, helped a lot in my trainings. I am getting a bit more involved and dedicated to cycling and decided to get a cadence meter since everybody talks about how important it is to get to a cadence between 80-100 rpm and trying to be able to keep comfortable around 90 rpm, but I discovered that I can only get around 75 rpm. It really burns me out when I try to sustain higher cadences for more than 5 min. I would like to ask if you could do make a video with some tips on how to improve your cadence, for a smoother pedal stroke and to get a better performance in general.

[@dalethomas4024]

Come to Wales, we have hills! GCN realised this in their GMBN collab video :P

[@gcn]

Yeah and it also snowed!

[@netfischer]

Scott sponsoring you now? nice.

[@nathannathosgrose2701]

Dan Lloyd keeping all 300watts safely tucked under the helmet until he's ready to unleash some watt bombs like a..well... bus!

[@adammorris6348]

And here I am 6 years later looking at their bikes and thinking, wow they look pretty average now. It's amazing how much shape and geometry has evolved

[@SeanTheGamer2k]

Hi guys great video.Love ur channel it's great.probably one of the only under 13 viewers. :)

[@sullysullster8217]

Another great video.

[@zachwong7324]

Ooooooh new Scott sponsor!

[@carolinaarizapulido3296]

Long climb Letras in Colombia 80,7 km!!

[@ΝικόλαοςΒ.Καραλάιος]

hi guys! I have a question ! Is it false to continue riding for 1.5 or 2 hours (let's say at 30 bpm lower than threshold HR ) after doing either of these workouts? Thanks, Nik

[@MrGeorgeAppleyard]

Where is this? some amazing views at 2:45

[@Panthers001]

that view behind Simon is insane! where are you guys cycling?

[@AnthonyJ101-d8q]

Panthers001 London innit

[@gcn]

That's the rather stunning Col d'Eze in Nice, France. Going to be in Paris-Nice this weekend as the final TT so make sure you watch.

[@nijerk13]

Could you do a training videos for long -1.5 hour Timetrials? It would really help me out on my next upcoming competition involving these timetrials.

[@SwedishHouseFifa]

nijerk13 I still think 20 minutes intervalls will still be really good to do,

[@nijerk13]

nijerk13 also, Do you guys also know how to recover the quickest after the TT since about 10 hours later I need to do it again. In the mean time i am on a sailboat so a "recovery session" isn't possible.

[@mateuszzdyb3547]

nijerk13 a pint or 5 pints should do the trick

[@nijerk13]

wont be feeling any muscle aches then. you're right there:P

[@eficzeri]

Why are you all now riding Scott bikes?

[@gcn]

We partnered with Scott for a few videos when we were last out in Nice.

[@harrykeogh2843]

Please do a riding video with lasty

[@jamesmorris7881]

I wonder what power metres they are using can't seam to spot them.

[@frgee6394]

the boss has finally made the big time - from the inrng cycling blog: "The last time was in 2011 where youtube legend Daniel Lloyd set the best time on Strava but it came early in the stage." he must know what he's talking about...

[@georgegilles9008]

Sweet.

[@nalou4]

I love that dudes laugh !

[@allanbarr4955]

In the video above, Dan "The Big Boss" Lloyd (around 1:20) says most people can't sustain the same power on a turbo as they can outdoors. I find that to be the case. But why is that?

[@gcn]

For most people the lack of mental stimulation and the heat from riding the turbo combine to give a lower power, but on the flip side you never get any sections where you stop pedalling for junctions, corners etc, so it does depend.

[@allanbarr4955]

Global Cycling Network makes sense. Thanks dude.

[@wizbiz1589]

"most people can't quite sustain as same amount power indoors as they can out on the road" Is this correct OR do people generally produce more power on the indoor trainers?

[@carlj1620]

Hi gcn, great video as always. Could you please do a video on say the top 10(or how ever many 20 etc) climbs in the UK. For example , my local climb that could feature would be ... Mow Cop Killer Mile. Look forward to another response from you guys! Ps maybe you could climb a few and review also :)

[@TheAce1727]

So what you're saying is this: The AVERAGE HR of the last 20min of this 30 test is my threshold HR? But what if I explode before the end of the 30 min OR just can't give everything out of myself? Does that still count and work? Do I have to "die" right at the end of the 30min? Global Cycling Network

[@gcn]

You do need to pace yourself on this test, so yes if you don't make it to the end then that's not going to work, but you're not going to get much change in your HR really if you get it wildly out.

[@TheAce1727]

Global Cycling Network Thanks :)

[@dankono8083]

Can you guys make a video on how to work on high cadence on long climbs, and how to train to be like Chris Froome who can keep going for a long time spinning very fast? Thanks

[@jhardy66617]

Danila Konoplev spin really fast, and go up a hill. do it over and over Untill you get good at it. it's not rocket science.

[@gompz0r]

What sizes do you ride on on those Scott bikes? Im thinking about buying a Scott bike, but im not sure if im gonna for 56cm or 58cm. Im 190cm tall, but dont have the longest arms. On option is to just buy a 58cm bike, and then buy a shorter stem. So, what size does (I dont remember the name, but the first man whose giving tips) he ride?

[@KPG1777]

Awesome videos guys! Just one question: What Scott bike model is Matt using?

[@gcn]

Matt's on an Addict 15.

[@georgegilles9008]

Educational

[@lp1485le]

Can areas in the UK like Snowdonia or Lake District (Hardknott, Kirkstone Pass) be classed as 'Long Climbs' or do they not really compare to the Alps? Would like to try riding in the Alps but I have legs like a tight-head prop.

[@mickparsons62]

I love these sessions you offer, but 1 question were is the video filmed as it looks like a fantastic venue to train?

[@gcn]

+Mick Parsons this was shot around the hills behind Nice, France.

[@rukisan159]

how long is a long climb? how many kilometers? awesome vid GCN!

[@lkb3rd]

Any climb that you can't power up with an anaerobic effort is long if you ask me, and the type of climbing they are describing here is that. Paced climbs at or near your anaerobic threshold.

[@TheHelensp]

How do you train for long Alpine type climbs in the UK? I live near Brighton, we have some short sharp climbs but nothing that takes much more than 10 minutes. I don't have an indoor trainer either, but am thinking about potentially Everesting a proper mountain climb. Last time I rode this hill, it took me 3 hours to get up, and 46 minutes to get down, I need to do 5 reps, so that is at least 20 hours riding, probably 24 allowing for it getting harder with every repeat. How can I simulate the effort close to home?

[@rahenyman]

Where is this

[@Anonymus0927]

Sweet-spot you say? Those are the same zone limits as the tempo zone, so what's the difference? Also, I've heard that tempo zone has the fewest benefits of the zones

[@gcn]

Well, generally Sweetspot is slightly harder than Tempo, between that and Threshold. As for fewest benefits, we'd completely disagree. It's incredibly effective at developing your aerobic capacity and most pros spend long periods of time there. That said, if it's all you do, you will reach a ceiling quite quickly.

[@EliteSniperTV]

Do you guys use earbuds while riding? or do you always go in a group and talk with each other

[@DanielWinterAt]

3 years late but well - yeah i do. all the time. got some sport earbuds by plantronics, pretty nice as they let outside sound in perfectly fine, so i hear every car passing by quite normally

[@pablofierrog]

Hey Global Cycling Network Guys send you some greetings and a video here from Chile on your facebook Inbox, did you take a look?, cheers!

[@germmancito]

What would you consider a long climb? Here in Bogotá, the nearest one is a 2nd category climb of 6.5 km at about 6-7% average. But I've done a 80 km climb of 4% average as well or 20 km at the same average gradient, I reckon. Obviously, I've talked about some extremes that we can find here in Colombia but, how much do you reckon a long climb can have?

[@gcn]

For you this is going to seem a bit small, but a long climb is when you start going over 5 minutes and using your aerobic system more.

[@Closedtournament]

Where was that filmed?

[@gcn]

Down near Nice in France.

[@bensydski5946]

Global Cycling Network At the col of eze, a nice ridding sport.

[@dreamchaser320]

or u can do it the Froomey way by holding the brakes back a little to simulate alpine climbs.

[@MattSomethingOrOther]

I have a long climb on the way home from my commute. I can do it fine on my MTB but now i have road bike with smaller gears and even in the lowest gear, its too much for me to maintain even the minimum speed required to stay upright, for that long. The hill takes me about 10 minutes on my MTB (going about the same speed as i'd walk) but i cant sustain the minimum speed on my road bike even for 2 minutes up that hill. Would it help to maybe try a bigger gear and stand up?

[@maddilockman1301]

+Matt somethingorother change your cassette and crankset to biggers gears

[@SvendKarlsen]

Hi!

[@indiebikes]

are you also going to start reviewing products? New bikes? Power Meters?

[@gcn]

No plans at the moment, but at some point perhaps.

[@davidmuful]

Global Cycling Network just to throw in my two bits, I would prefer you guys didn't do that. As it is we get info about what really counts, and to join in the dentists' arms race should be for magazines who get paid ad features.

[@spanish111japan]

What's the size of Simon's jersey?

[@gcn]

It's a large.

[@bambuminatto]

good, but where are the gloves?

[@gcn]

We don't use gloves unless it's cold or we're racing.

[@bryantsui6387]

Who needs glove when you on a long climb

[@bambuminatto]

Bryan Tsui who rides a bike. specially when somebody, is somebody to be followed -an example.

[@bryantsui6387]

bambuminatto just wanna mention that the main purpose of gloves are keep your hands warm, better grip and protect your arms when you fall. On a long climb your body temperature rise (and look at that sunshine in that video, so jealous) and you riding speed under 20km so if you fall it wont be doing much damage. Two main purpose of gloves are gone so some people like myself prefer wear no gloves on a long climb.

[@biranfalk-dotan2448]

The 1 hour effort with accelerations is nice, but how about a proper fartlek ride? I do these pretty often on the trainer because they are a time-efficient way of working on aerobic fitness, and they are pretty much the most fun training ride there is on the trainer (although they can also be done on the road).

[@gcn]

Fartlek training is really good, but it's hard to recommend a specific workout for someone when suggesting it. It rather depends on the individual.

[@xBULLAKx]

Hey guys. This summer I going to a race that starts at 5000 feet above sea level and finishes at 10,000 feet. Unfortunately I live at sea level and the highest point around me is about 2000. Any training tips for altitude??

[@gcn]

Not really. Get as fit as you can and then if you haven't the time to acclimatise, go in really late.

[@Mochimatchamocha]

How long are your guys' legs? When your pedaling, your knees go above the handlebars and it seems like you have your saddle raised really high. I'm 5' 11" and my saddle's only about 1.5 inches above my handlebars. Maybe it's your frame size?

[@gcn]

It's how high we have our bars, not the saddles. Just personal preference.

[@Mochimatchamocha]

+Global Cycling Network May I ask whats your wheel size and height of the bottom of the handlebar from the ground is?

[@ownerwouty]

I wish there were some hills/climbs in my ******* flat country :(

[@Cortes19882012]

I like it better when Matt Stevens had the Trek Domane 5.9 with Dura Ace. That was a much better bike than that Scott bike he has now.

[@outkast1464]

hi guys I'm 114kg which wheel set would be more suitable for me carbon vs aluminum ?

[@gcn]

hi Nolan some manufacturers put weight limits on components. It's worth consulting with them to determine what's best suited to you and riding characteristics. thanks Jon

[@erikpratama6039]

hey there, thanks for you guys there made such a great videos.. i lived in an area where hills are very common to see, but there is one long hill climb that is very steep at the beginning, it rise quickly to 8-10 percent and there is small the part of segment recorded by over 20 percent gradient. It is very frustating while the rest of the climb are less steep, but since the beginning is very tough, i often get blown out at the beginning and only able to resume the climb with recovery pace. hope you guys can help me with answer or maybe video to explain how to tackle this problem. (fyi, i used compact chainset with 11-32T)

[@gcn]

Hi +erik pratama, it sounds like it's just a really tough hill. Your gearing sounds good, so I'd say that the section of the hill is always going to hurt. Sorry, not too helpful, I know!

[@erikpratama6039]

+Global Cycling Network, yes.. indeed.. that is the reason why this though hill keeps me trying over and over again. some ended with glories and some with burned and ached lungs and legs. anyway thanks for your response, appreciate it very much. i always looking forward for your new videos, especially for "how to" videos. great job guys.

[@ViniciusOliveira-pu3ei]

how many times per week can i repeat the sweetspot training?

[@gcn]

+Vinicius Oliveira it depends on how fit your are, but if you do a lot of training, you can do it up to 5 times a week.

[@keenoh]

+Global Cycling Network Been training with sweetspot for a while now to some success - but I do have a question: (could be worth doing a video dedicated to sweetspot, actually), for lengthy intervals like the one hour one in this video, how would you go about it when riding over varied terrain? For example, if I was to do a one hour interval at sweetspot on my local roads, I'd also be going up a number of fairly punchy climbs, short descents, and false flats - probably the same for most of us in the UK... Should you maintain the percieved 88%-ish effort through those different types of terrain? Because it's a lot easier to keep that level of effort up on a climb (with the resistance it offers) than elsewhere!

[@Alessiucciocaro]

I just aim to keep my average power within the interval...

[@LosGuardian]

How do you guys keep getting new bikes? :o

[@Quepedal]

Javen Poon I suspect that a channel like this costs a lot of money. So long that I think it is a means to display bikes and accessories sponsors do, this is called product placement. Although I'm not sure, I think this is the channel business, and I think a great idea. Now, we have all seen an exhibition of Scott bicycles, while enjoying a cool video, this does not hurt anyone ;)

[@MegaMatthewMartin]

Hey GCN, is the recovery time supposed to be the same for the 20 block and the 8 minute block? I realize that the 8 minute block is pushing more into the VO2 realm, but the full 5 minutes for recovering from that seemed a little much.

[@gcn]

Yep, the lengths are spot on. The different lengths of the intervals reflect the difference intensities required, the recovery period remains the same.

[@TheAce1727]

I just did the Threshold Heart rate test today, and according to you guys, it's 177 is it normal?

[@gcn]

TheAce1727 difficult to say what 'Normal' is - it's something that varies hugely between people. Most people's threshold HR will be near-ish to their max HR.

[@TheAce1727]

+Global Cycling Network Okay, I did my FTHR test in March and now it's October and thought I'm gonna re-watch your FTP calculation video. Just realized that I multiplied my avg HR of that last 20min with 0.95. Trained the whole year with 177bpm FTHR instead of 186. I'm crying

[@jude8894]

Anyone 2020

[@KingDavid683]

There's no such thing as a quiet stretch of road in the city to test for FTP. sucks!

[@tomhardies]

I think it's about time Dan Lloyd and Marianne Vos had a race... #LikeaVos

[@gavinburnett8830]

Where I live it's ironing-board flat. I've read somewhere that each 8 km/h of headwind is equivalent to 1% of grade. Is this a good approximation? Good video, guys!

[@brunokabbaz5779]

good question.....GCN?

[@benjaminbrosdau1626]

I'd say its a little more than 1%. Check out this calculator, you can type in your data and see the effects of road inclination wind speed etc. It's a purely mathematical tool though, not referring to a database of actual measured data. Still I found it reasonably accurate, if you put in plausible data. www.rennradtraining.de/kreuzotter/english/espeed.htm

[@gcn]

Bruno Kabbaz Well, to a certain extent it's not terribly relevant. You don't need wind to simulate gradient, just ride harder. It's perfectly possible to do all these sessions on the flat, just make sure you ride in your climbing position and not trying to get aero - that's critical.

[@theswedishviking4898]

So...honestly....when? (at what age) do we stop increasing our FTP...however much we try? There is (unfortunately) a limit ( isn’t there?) when we stop evolving however much we want to, however much we train and push and…well… I’m 50 ! (jikes!) and I have (according to Zwift  ) during the winter up till now increased my FTP from 180 to 200. But seriously….its painful as it is and I push as hard as I can according to my circumstances with my physic and so forth. Is it really worth trying to push it farther? And what does science say? around 30 ?? 

[@gcn]

hi, it's really on an individual basis. As you get fitter/stronger your FTP will increase. sorry we cant help any further. thanks Jon

[@theswedishviking4898]

Thanks! I keep on pushing. How hard can it be to reach 300?? :-) :-) :-)

[@abhishekbhardwaj6507]

i need some videos on crankset wear and tear. #GCN PLZ REPLY SOON

[@MrScion500]

Just ride up Holme Moss 2 or 3 times a week. I bet that would do the trick.

[@joestevenson5568]

I'll confirm that this works

[@MrScion500]

Joe Stevenson Have you done that Joe

[@Fonkemman]

I don't understand these numbers 😅

[@MauricioAlsinaLee]

I click on my girlfriend, just like the Boss did it. She ain't laugh. BTW, awesome vids, guys. I've got a lot of training sessions now, but I still want some for the TT, so, I'll just wait.

[@Timtimzi]

Now if only I can afford a power meter :/

[@juanfernandotschen9633]

Is it just me or Matt looks a lot like Rocky from Chicken Run movie?

[@richardmourdock2719]

3:43 "on the hoods." "One the hoods? WTF? I thought I spoke English as a first language. Years ago in learning to fly, "on the hood" meant you wore a shade over your eyes so you couldn't see out the cockpit and had to focus on the instruments.... but "on the hoods" on a bicycle.. Please translate for your American cousins..... thank you!

[@ciclismoJames]

why didn't Dan give his FTP data.....

[@netfischer]

about 300 maybe abit tad more unless he´s done some secret training. He´s on strava

[@SeanTheGamer2k]

Btw if u reply it would make my day. :D

[@gcn]

Glad you're enjoying it Sean. Spread the word! :)

[@SeanTheGamer2k]

Tks will do

[@lllmmmaaaooo]

350W O_O

[@lohnercyclist2650]

how to start an internet fight: 1. write a comment. 2. wait...

[@ClarkS963]

Wonder why everyone was on a Scott that day?...

[@ClarkS963]

Scott helmets too! Guys get sponsored?

[@rainergabriel9363]

350 for Si, 300 for the Wig and if the comment bellow are true, something around 300 for the Boss. Hold on, who's the boss now?

[@gcn]

The guys stopped racing a few years ago so I'm not sure "retirement FTP" really counts!

[@lkb3rd]

Skinny guys like the boss don't need as much raw power.

[@pmckeown40]

More poking I recon. The shorter intervals at 110 percent on my heart rate, (don't have a power meter) would kill me. pete2feet

[@mevvis]

why 3 boys ???

[@markankone9362]

I am from the future, there is a female cyclist coming over to GCN her name is Emma, Emma is loved by everybody who is watching gcn..don't let her go.. ow matt is leaving the show .. to bad